Physical activity and health-related quality of life among high-risk women for type 2 diabetes in the early years after pregnancy

• Published in: BMC women's health 2022-03, Vol.22 (1), p.84-84, Article 84
• Main Authors: Sahrakorpi, Niina, Engberg, Elina, Stach-Lempinen, Beata, Tammelin, Tuija H, Kulmala, Janne, Roine, Risto P, Koivusalo, Saila B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Algorithms; Body Mass Index; Care and treatment; Chronic illnesses; Complications and side effects; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Diabetes, Gestational; Diagnosis; Exercise; Female; Gestational diabetes; Glucose; Health aspects; Health risk assessment; Hospitals; HRQoL; Humans; Intervention; Lifestyles; Metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Methods; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Overweight - complications; Physiological aspects; Population; Postpartum; Pregnancy; Prevention; Quality of Life; Risk factors; Sedentary behavior; Sedentary behaviour; Sleep; Social aspects; Type 2 diabetes; Weight control; Well being; Women; Womens health
• ISSN: 1472-6874; 1472-6874
• DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01664-7

Previous studies have shown that physical activity (PA) correlates positively with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the general population. Few studies have investigated associations between device-measured PA and HRQoL among premenopausal women at risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). In addition to physical well-being, general well-being improved by PA has been suggested to strengthen PA's benefits in reducing metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between PA and HRQoL (general and dimensions) among high-risk women in the early post-pregnancy years when T2D risk is highest and to estimate whether current obesity or prior gestational diabetes (GDM) modified these associations. This cross-sectional study of high-risk women [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m and/or prior GDM)]4-6 years after delivery measured sleep, sedentary time, daily steps, and light (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA), and vigorous PA (VPA) with the SenseWear ArmbandTM accelerometer for seven days and HRQoL with the 15D instrument. The analyses included 204 women with a median (IQR) age of 39 (6.0) years and a median BMI of 31.1 kg/m (10.9). 54% were currently obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m ), and 70% had prior gestational diabetes (GDM+). Women with obesity had lower PA levels than women with normal weight or overweight (p